When Jesus embarked on the mission the Father had sent him, he spoke of the kingdom of God to the crowds who gathered to hear him preach. He proclaimed good news to the captives, the oppressed, and the broken-hearted. He used parables to show the people what God’s kingdom was like. And he gave his disciples the beatitudes to form them into his character and likeness.
We can see some Old Testament parallels to Christ’s teaching in the Sermon on the Mount. Take for example, Psalm 103 and Matthew’s list of Beatitudes.
| Psalm 103:1-12 |
| 1 Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name! 2 Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits, 3 who forgives all your iniquity, who heals all your diseases, 4 who redeems your life from the pit, who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy, 5 who satisfies you with good so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.6 The Lord works righteousness and justice for all who are oppressed. 7 He made known his ways to Moses, his acts to the people of Israel. 8 The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love. 9 He will not always chide, nor will he keep his anger forever. 10 He does not deal with us according to our sins, nor repay us according to our iniquities. 11 For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him; 12 as far as the east is from the west, so far does he remove our transgressions from us. |
| Matthew 5:3-12 |
| 3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit, For theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 4 “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. 5 “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. 6 “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied. 7 “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy. 8 “Blessed are the pure in heart, For they shall see God. 9 “Blessed are the peacemakers, For they shall be called sons of God. 10 “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 11 “Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. 12 Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you. |
Psalm 103 praises God for his great blessings – but it is easy to forget his benefits (all the good he has done for us and the gifts he has given us). We must make it a daily habit to bless and thank God for his many benefits. God, in turn, calls us to be a blessing to many others as well.
Christ’s beatitudes show us the perfect way of blessedness as we follow him and allow the Holy Spirit to purify and change us into the likeness of Christ.
What is the meaning of ‘blessing’ and ‘being blessed’?
To bless means first of all to benefit or to do good to someone. To bless also means to respond to those who have done something good to us by praising them, usually by praising them for their goodness. To bless means the same as to thank.
Another special use of blessing, namely, when one person blesses another. This means to call blessings or benefits upon that person. (See Numbers 6:24-26, Deuteronomy 33:1, Psalm 34:8.)
Blessing can mean both the action of doing good to someone or calling goodness upon them and the result of that benefit, namely, the actual benefit itself.
Some examples from the Scriptures:
And I will make of thee [Abraham] a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing: And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.
(KJV) Genesis 12:2-3
The Lord bless you and keep you: The Lord make his face to shine upon you, and be gracious to you: The Lord lift up his countenance upon you, and give you peace.
Numbers 6:24-26 (Aaronic blessing)
Blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfilment of what was spoken to her from the Lord.
Luke 1:45
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places,even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. He destined us in love to be his sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will…
Ephesians 1:3-5
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.
1 Peter 1:3
Do not repay evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary, bless, for to this you were called, that you may obtain a blessing.
1 Peter 3:9
What is the meaning of the word ‘beatitude’?
Meaning: The Greek word for blessing in the Sermon on the Mount is makarios. True blessedness is a deep, inner (spiritual) joy and a divine favor rather than a superficial happiness or emotional feeling.
Context: The beatitudes are not just “attitudes to be,” but declarations of a state of being blessed by God, often reversing worldly values (e.g., blessing the poor, the mourning, etc.).
Kingdom focus: The beatitudes promise a future and a present inheritance of God’s Kingdom, offering comfort, mercy, grace and peace. Poverty of spirit finds ample room and joy in possessing God as the greatest treasure possible. Hunger of the spirit seeks nourishment and strength in God’s word and Spirit. Sorrow and mourning over wasted life and sin leads to joyful freedom from the burden of guilt and spiritual oppression.
- For further study see:
- Living the Beatitudes as Christ Has Taught Us, by Steve Clark
- Jesus Calls his Community of Disciples “Blessed”, by Dietrich Bonhoeffer
- On the Beatitudes of God’s Kingdom, by Augustine of Hippo
- The Beatitudes Are Inseparable from the Cross, by Fulton J. Sheen
- To Bless and Be Blessed – The Call to Live the Beatitudes as Disciples of Christ, edited by Don Schwager
Top image credit: Sunrise landscape banner by Living Bulwark graphic designer. Background cropped pic from bigstock.com. Used with permission.
Don Schwager is the editor of Living Bulwark and author of the Daily Scripture Reading and Meditation website. He is a lay religious brother and life-time member of the Servants of the Word.